Is a travel mug an “essential” piece of fly fishing gear? It is for me. Coffee gets you going the morning of a trip, makes the long car ride seem shorter, helps you endure your fishing partner, and stimulates creativity at the tying desk. Without apology, I’m one of those people you don’t want to…
One of the drawers in my fly tying desk is labelled “Special Threads”. It’s an eclectic collection of top-secret oddball spools I’ve collected over the years and also where I keep any specialty threads such as silk, Kevlar, 17/0 Trico thread, etc.. I consider this my “inspiration” drawer because I like to rummage through it…
My first “tenkara net” was the one Daniel Galhadro (founder of Tenkara USA) gave me back in 2011. It was the original Tenkara USA tamo and for a while, was one of only a handful of authentic Japanese style nets available (at least as far as we knew). It was the perfect size for the…
Giveaway Ends Sunday March 4th, 2023 This contest has ended (The winners have been notified by email and announced on the Tenkara Talk facebook page) Countdown I’ll admit, I love gadgets! Trinkets, gizmos, widgets, doodads, doohickeys, thingamabobs, and especially thingamajigs. As fly anglers, I think we all do! After all, there’s a reason fly fishing…
Let me start by saying I dislike plastic fly boxes. They’re ugly. They’re garish. They have no souls. They’re not things of beauty that will be admired and prized as heirlooms or collectables like Wheatleys. But, they’re not supposed to be. They’re creatures of utter utility whose only purpose in life is to store and…
My favorite tenkara rod and the one I use the most also happens to have the least ergonomically designed handle possible. It’s perfectly straight with no taper whatsoever. It’s an Oni Type I–an old one–back before they were mass produced like they are today. The originals were literally hand assembled by Oni himself in his…
Not too long ago, I was sent a card of Italian Mohair by Don Lux, prominent tenkara angler and the organizer of the recent tenkara fly swap. He wanted to see what I could come up with. Mohair is a notoriously difficult material to work with. It’s slippery and doesn’t dub very well, but what…
Every year, I look forward to the Denver Flyfishing Show as eagerly as an impatient kid awaits Christmas. I usually go every year but missed the last two years so I was especially excited to return and see what’s new. And I’ll spoil the ending by telling you there wasn’t much. As usual, there were…
Most of my flies tend toward darker or bolder colors: bright red, dark browns, peacock herl, etc.. And I typically tie them on black nickel hooks. I imagine it’s my subconscious clinging to an old rule I learned as a young angler: “Murky water, dark flies. Clear water, bright flies” Of course, this is true.…
If you were to put together a lineup of flies that iconically represented modern tenkara, the Amano kebari would be a sure candidate. It was invented by legendary Japanese tenkara angler Katsutoshi Amano and is the only fly he ties! Read a little more about Amano-san here. He ties it in a few different sizes,…
I love winter fishing. For the same reasons the warm-blooded amongst us do: fewer crowds, less pressure on the fish, no biting insects, and just overall quiet solitude–serenity amidst a white, Norman Rockwell blanket of snow. Of course, there are also downsides to winter fishing. Here in Colorado, many of the smaller streams get completely…
Giveaway Ends Tuesday, February 28th 2023 This contest has ended Countdown Last month I wrote an article on one of my favorite little gadgets: the Higonokami Knife. Well this month, I’m giving away one brand new, authentic 100mm brass Higonokami! To enter, click below & “follow” the Tenkara Talk Facebook page (if you already follow…
Making your own dubbing blends is not only simple and fun, but also opens up a vast realm of new creative possibilities for your flies. And you can get started today with things you probably already have! How-to segment starts at 04:23
When I got my new tamo (net) from Tenkara no Oni a couple of days ago, he slipped a few of his flies in the box (as he usually does). I already had some I got professionally framed several years ago that hang right above my fly tying desk. Two of the flies this time…